X&Y
by AM180jim
Summary: I do not own South Park nor do I own any brands or tv shows mentioned. Rated K for the prologue but it is T maybe M later on for violence, language, and adult themes. I recommend looking up the chapter names on iTunes or YouTube for enhanced reading.
1. Prologue

**Kindergarten**

"But Mom… What if the kids have cooties or lice or- OH GOD WAS THAT A RAT?" "Tweek, calm down… Here have some of my coffee." The small blond grabbed the thermos and drank as if it would save his life, just like he thought the hospital booties and his mom's rubber gloves would. His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the room. He recognized the Marsh kid and the Broflovski kid from encounters when his mom forced him to be outside. The thought of the dirt getting in his eyes and blinding him or having man-eating bug land on him, like that mosquito, just scared him. He would try to resist (like he did today), but his dad is stronger and bigger and it's not fair! "Mom! I don't like school anymore! I wanna go home! … Mom?" She had left while he was having his little panic attack. He was alone… Alone with strangers. And the TV said strangers are danger. Ernie and Big Bird said strangers are danger. "Stranger danger!" He fell to floor and cried, cried like that brown haired boy in the corner wanting to go home. He held his thermos tighter. "GAHHHH!" "Hey, young man! What is that you're holding?" The teacher loomed over him like a bloodthirsty monster. "AHHHH don't drink my blood!" He threw the thermos and hid under the table.

Under there though he saw that everyone was starting to get comfortable. All the kids were playing together and laughing as if they weren't bawling or yelling for their mommy's a minute ago. "There you are! What's your name little boy?" "T-tweek…" "Well Tweek, come join the rest of the class. It'll be fun." She said that last word almost welcoming and funny. It made Tweek giggle a bit. "Now, sweetie, it is impolite to throw things at someone's head. It's very rude. I promise you'll have fun, and then you can have your thermos back at the end of the day." That sounded nice and sweet. She sounded like a mom. Like his mommy. He nodded shyly and crawled out from under the table. The teacher guided him towards the group. The Marsh boy and Broflovski boy were playing with blocks, which were eventually knocked over by a big kid they called Cartman. The brown haired boy had stopped crying and was playing cars with a blonde kid in a hoodie who some how was choking on the car he was playing with. Then he saw a lone kid spinning around going whoosh. "I'm a spaceman!" Tweek smiled a bit and bounced towards him. "Can I be a spaceman too?" "No! Only I can be spaceman!" Tweek felt a pain in his chest. Later he would recognize this as sad, but it was confusing. He never felt this kind of hurt. It made him cry. "Hey, kid. Quit being a pussy and be an alien." "What's a pussy?" "I don't know. My mom calls my dad that sometimes if he's not doing something." "Oh ok." The 'spaceman' whooshed again and Tweek started growling and bouncing around playfully. The 'spaceman' started running away and laughing. "Ah! The alien's gonna eat me!" "RAWR!"

By the time lunch came around, the parka kid was alright, but kept coughing. The Marsh kid and the Broflovski kid (who Craig [the spaceman] said are called Stan and Kyle) checked on him and joked with him, while Cartman taunted and called the kid names, saying 'Kenny's a stump-baby!' or 'Kenny's family are poor dirty homos!' Craig told Tweek that he already didn't like Stan and Kyle, especially since they made fun of him being a spaceman. "They're stupid." "That's a bad word! Ernie and Big Bird say so!" "They are Tweek!" Tweek jittered and drank out his thermos. "What're you drinking anyway?" "Hm? Oh um it's called c-coffee." "Can I try it?" Tweek handed him the thermos and shook a bit. Craig took a sip and spat it out. "It tastes like poopy!" Tweek took it back and hugged the hot container. "I like it…" Craig bleh'd and offered Tweek some of his sandwich. "It's peanut butter and jelly." "I like peanut butter and jelly, but can I take a bite out of the other side? Better yet just pinch me off a piece. Better yet you can keep the sandwich." "Don't you like PBJ?" "Yea but… I have my chips and coffee so I'll be fine…" Tweek hugged his thermos tighter. Coffee was the greatest. Besides he didn't wanna die from the cooties on Craig's sandwich. Then he heard a plop and saw an untouched half of Craig's sandwich. "My mommy splits it in half for me." Tweek smiled and ate it. So far he liked Craig.

When Tweek's mommy came to get him, he and Craig were still playing spaceman. Stan threw up on a girl who was crying cause of cooties. Kyle then gave Stan a cootie shot in response. "Circle circle, dot dot, now you got the cootie shot. Circle circle, square square, now you have it everywhere. Circle circle, knife knife, now you have it all your life!" They both laughed and played blocks again. Kenny still played cars with that brown haired kid. "Did you have fun Tweek?" "I did, mommy. May I come again everyday?" Craig piped up saying he still needed an alien for tomorrow. "Well I don't see why not? I mean I did enroll you in this school…" Tweek jittered excitedly and said goodbye to Craig. "Besides Tweek, if you didn't go to school we'd have to sell you into slavery." "WHAT? OH GOD!"


	2. Chapter 1

**(A/N: **this chapter has been lengthened and edited**)**

**PART 1: **

**CHAP 1: Everything in It's Right Place**

Tweek's body lies on his bed, wrapped around a familiar pillow, blankets halfway covering his thin stick like body. He has muscles, but not big muscles. Not like Clyde or Kenny or surprisingly Cartman. Cartman is just as fat as when they were all younger, but he has hidden strength. Tweek opens his eyes slowly to the blue light of the alarm clock. For every minute past an hour, he has to blink. It's habit. As he twists the shower on, hot water spitting out the head, he counts his fingers to make sure they're still there and even. Then he would double check. All there.

He steps into the steaming liquid and is reminded of Japan for a while. Tweek begins to wash over his lithe frame, being careful to wash everything twice, even his back and especially his hands (thrice). He dips his head into the water and runs his hands through the mess four times. Exactly four or he'd have to do it all over again. Then he washes his hair with a healthy amount of shampoo and tries to keep the suds out of his crystal blue eyes. God knows he doesn't want to end up having eyesight trouble like his father and mother who both wear reading glasses. Everything is ritual.

He organizes his clothes by usage and color, from his gray Converse sitting at the foot of his bed to his blue hoodie in the closet. Tweek's room's what someone would call messily organized. It all matched in color and brand but lays in piles on the floor. He does his own laundry too. After shutting off the water and drying off, he shaves, the only difficult activity due to his jittery hands. But he can do it.

He slips on his usual gray chucks, olive sailor neck tee, and black skinny jeans like usual. That's a word that was unlike Tweek according to his classmates: usual. He's unusual, creepy, freaky. Before leaving his room, Tweek looks around and straightens the piles up. He resists the urge to flip the light switch over and over. Save the planet, right? Right. He heads down the stairs, avoids his parents, and makes himself coffee. He quietly lets himself out, shoulders his messenger bag, and wraps his red scarf around his neck. Next stop: Craig's.

Craig's routine is different. He first of all just wakes up, fumbles around trying to shave and shower before Tweek shows up, flips off his invading sister, pulls on his blue chullo, looks through the pile of clothes on the floor for something that fits, makes breakfast for him and Tweek, and then looks for his shoes while Tweek usually sheepishly eats eggs. Usually his can find his blue Vans, but today he was having difficulty.

Finally he found them sitting under a pile of underwear (some of which he doesn't own). He pulled on his gray tee and blue bomber jacket over his stocky body, his lean legs covered by red straight leg jeans. Plus another peculiar thing about today is that Tweek was late. But speak of the devil, cause the doorbell has rung. The rail-thin teen stands shivering in the cold.

"Y-you're missing Red Racer." "Just get in here Tweek."

Craig's attitude was apathetic compared to Tweek's concern. It was only routine anyway.

"Anyway," says Craig as he flips the TV on, "How hard do you think the test will be today?"

Tweek freezes and drops his fork.

"Oh shit! I forgot about that! Oh god I'm gonna fail and my dad with sell me as a sex slave and I'll be homeless and dirty and I'll die from cancer!"

Anyone would have told Tweek to shut up, but Craig just stares with an annoyed sigh. It's only routine.

After breakfast and calming Tweek down about the test, Craig cranked up his car, Tweek in the passenger seat. Tweek holds his thermos tightly still worried about the test. "Dude we're only in the 10th grade; it's not like it's a test that matters, plus there's other tests. Chill out." Craig's nasally voice surprisingly is soothing. Hard to believe that this is the same voice that tells Stan and Kyle to go away or fuck off. Tweek takes ten short breaths and counts, by a 4/4, beat to ten. Craig only grunts and continues driving to South Park High.

The complex stood high and wide, but only because some Middle Park kids and small town nobodies also went to the school. After Craig had parked, Tweek trying carefully getting out of the car, Kenny shouted towards them. Kenny is the only one Craig enjoyshanging out with out of the four, Cartman being his least favorite. Tweek stumbles a bit after slipping on a freezing puddle. Then he embarrassingly readjusts his shirt ('stupid oversized sleeves') so he could wave at Kenny without looking like a little kid.

"Hey Tweek."

Kenny still wears the orange parka, but likes to show off his ripped football star body, especially with that tight white shirt. His wardrobe hasn't changed much actually from childhood, just his body. He grew out of his dulcet toned voice and sounded a bit like Issac Hayes ('or Chef, who is dearly missed…'), especially when he sang opera. Kenny, the all star of the school, except when it came to academics. But teachers help him out here and there, especially girl teachers.

"You ready for the test?" Craig answered for him. "He forgot."

"Y-yea but I'm sure that-that Craig will help me out."

He blushes and awkwardly hits Craig in the arm, playfully.

"Whatever Tweek. I gotta get to class early."

With a wink and a nudge towards Craig, as well as a 'if you know what I mean', Kenny deserted them and caught up with Stan and Kyle. Tweek wishes He had more than just Craig. Lately Token and Clyde would drift off and Butters just… Well Butters was Butters. Everyone else thinks Tweek should get help. He's seen what TV doctors do though for people with OCD or ADD or any mental problem. It scares him. They'll kill him! He can't see a therapist, not after he walked out the other day,

"Well we should probably get to class Tweek."

"Y-yea." He follows Craig to the school, walking carefully and cautiously. He hates the cracks in the pavement and likes avoiding them.

"Today we're going to learn about the High… Middle… Ages… Gentleman! Get your notebooks out and listen to me! Come to… order! Mr. McCormick! I have yet to get the twenty 'True Gentleman' you owe me!" Kenny rolls his eyes and mumbles 'prick' under his breath. Tweek tried to focus on his notes, but it was hard when his shoelace is untied, or his pencil crooked, or his- 'SNAP OUT OF IT TWEEK!' Tweek surprised himself that he could yell THAT loud in his head. It sounds a lot like the teacher Mr. Large though. Ever so faint, yet getting louder now…

"Mr. Tweak! Stop daydreaming! I'll be forced to give the class ten True Gentleman next time your eyes… glaze… over! Anyway… Mr. Tucker! Did you just flip me off?"

Everyone looks at Craig who, apathetically and still flipping the teacher off, lies, "No." Craig's favorite word it seems.

"In… my… office… Mr. …-" "Tucker…" "Do not mock me… class!"

Tweek giggles quietly and resumes taking notes. He enjoys having class with Craig, but it was just this class and art unfortunately.

During his free period, Tweek studies his notes for English Literature. He enjoys reading, but the history behind the stories always disengage him. It's too much pressure. plus the fragmented way the teacher told them about the background of the literature triggers his rituals such as picking at his shoelace or eating his nails. He does these 'rituals' usually out of anxiety. They seem to calm him somewhat. Tweek snaps out of it when he feels a pop on his forehead.

"Hey Tweek." "You're ski-skipping?"

"Yea figured I'd help you study... Especially since it was my first class today."

Tweek moves over a seat and lets Craig sits next to him, thigh to thigh. His fingers get tingly when Craig sits next to him like that. He feels the need to chew his nails. He always does near Craig.

"So it's simple. Just remember that the Pardoner is the girl and the Summoner is his lover. Especially since they ride together, the Pardoner is an effeminate character, and the Summoner is an asshole. Chaucer is easy to know, Tweek. You just have to compare him to modern day."

In art class, Craig usually would draw a penis on a really fantastic picture. He's surprisingly a good artist. But today, Craig sat there with a bored look. They talked about the fantastic world of chalk art. Craig usually is bored when it came time for lessons on art. Tweek, unlike Craig, draws his seat closer to see the amazing images these artists create. Unfortunately, Tweek can't cope with art that well… Too messy.

As he became more enamored, Tweek felt a poke on his arm. Craig mouths out 'do you wanna skip P.E. for the arcade?' Tweek usually complies, but only cause he knows Eric Cartman will tease him and beat him up. Craig keeps Tweek from harm: like superman. Every moment Cartman teases him, Craig is usually there to help him out. Tweek nods sheepishly and Craig gives a thumbs up. Kenny then nudges Tweek's side and asks if he's just as bored as he is.

"N-not really." "Then why do you keep fumbling with your laces?"

He looked down. Sure enough, Tweek's hands laid upon the white bands of cotton. He didn't realize he was doing this, but to save face he makes up an excuse.

"Cause they're crooked, I guess?" "Man… You must have some ADD there."

Tweek twitched and smiled a bit. Out of all the students in South Park, Kenny is the most popular and nicest. Nothing is wrong with him at all. Then the bell rang.

"Hey I got to go Tweek, catch you later!"

Tweek waved goodbye as Kenny left the class and caught up to Stan and Kyle. As Tweek turns around, Craig grabs his arm and whells him towards his car.

"Man, Tweek. I'm glad you wanted to skip cause I don't wanna deal with Stan and Kyle's bullshit."

Tweek twinged at Craig's comment. Stan and Kyle weren't all bad… But they did-

"They got into another damned adventure again and I don't wanna hear it. I like my nice and boring life. It's cool. Besides I already get enough action out of just hanging out with you."

Craig smiled a little bit, but forced it to wane before he smiled too bright. Didn't wanna seem all gay for Tweek. They're just best friends.

Craig cranks up the car and speeds away as Tweek holds his thermos tightly to his chest. They stopped by their lockers of course to retrieve books (Craig mainly wanted to get his secret cigarettes) before leaving the campus. Tweek loves the trip Craig takes to the arcade, usually through woods or hills. It's longer but Tweek secretly enjoys the trip. He of course knows leaving the safety of the car into these unfamiliar forests and the irregular brush sets off his triggers. It gets hard not to do his rituals but Craig says it'll be worth it. Tweek readjusts his shirt and continues to stare out the window, feigning boredom.

"Wanna hear some music?" "S-sure."

Craig plays his Coldplay CD. It's calm but also slightly active. Tweek keeps staring out the window, fascinated by the beauty he cannot touch. The blue sky, the green grass, the white as bones snow… He smiles.

Unknown to Tweek, Craig knows he's happy. The music is because Craig hates silence. He likes the rituals but he knows that they keep Tweek from enjoying life. He remembers how Tweek was in the beginning of summer, when he was diagnosed.

Craig was home that day. Tweek had been at the doctor's the other day, and his mom wouldn't let him out of the house yet. Craig soon got bored, wanting someone to chill out with. He had to rescue Tweek from home. Besides, he usually snuck into Tweek's house since his parents decided he was a bad influence on him.

"Mom, dad. Can I borrow the car tonight?"

His dad flipped him off and reminds him that he came home too late last time.

"But sure, Craig. Just be home tonight."

Craig caught his dad's keys and grabbed a CD. Tweek forgot it when he was over last week. Craig meant to bring it back but kept forgetting. So there was an excuse to go to Tweek's anyway. He cranked up his dad's car and went on his way. He hated that he still had to ride the bus for school till his birthday, but that was a price to pay when you don't ask for a car on your 16th birthday. Soon enough he was at Tweek's but the lights seemed to be out. It looked as if no one was home. But he could hear distinct sobbing inside.

"Tweek?" Craig jumped out of the car and rushed to the side of the house for the ladder. He adjusted the ladder at the front of the house and climbed into Tweek's room. There was Tweek, his room tidy and neat like usual, except he wasn't playing a video game. Instead he was curled up on the wall crying. In his hand he held a crunched up form. Papers were all over the floor amongst the different colors and clothes. It was a rainbow design of misery. Craig never forgot that. He picks up a file and reads it.

Craig then looks at Tweek. He wishes he could be there for him, but... Better to just let him come to him. Just as he leaves though, he hears him.

"Craig? Craig?"

"Craig? Craig! Y-you passed the (mmmph) arcade."

Craig realigns into the present and wakes up. Sure enough he sees the arcade behind him and mumbles curses towards himself. He'll need a cigarette soon, just like Tweek's rituals for Tweek.

"Fuck! Hold on Tweek…" Craig spins the car around and illegally drives into the parking lot. Tweek grabs the seat and drops his thermos. Illegal! This is illegal! They'll go to jail and he'll get raped and then he'll never see Craig agai- "Tweek!"

Tweek focuses back on the world. They're at the arcade. No cops.

"You ready to be beaten at "Red Racer, The Video Game"?" "B-bring it on b-bitch!"

They laugh and all is right with the world. Craig opens his door and remembers that everything is alright now.

Craig opens the door for Tweek and follows in after him. Tweek sees the machine and fishes out his quarter. He saves them for just this occasion. He must have at least forty. Craig sits in the seat next to Tweek and lets him get a head start. He usually gives him the head start. It's the ritual. Tweek jitters and twitches at each wrong motion. Fortunately Craig knew that Tweek had a weakness for ritualistic moves and takes advantage of the weakness, much to his own horror. It's only natural. Natural is the right word for them.

Craig lies on the couch. He bought a plastic ring at the arcade with all his tickets, but he gave it to Tweek out of compassion. Much of this day is normal for the two. Usually on a Friday they ditch P.E. and go to the arcade, then they go to Craig's house to watch Red Racer. Well, Craig stills watches the juvenile show, while Tweek does his homework. On a Friday?

"Tweek, for once stop being a dick and watch Red Racer with me."

"I can't… y-you know that I-"

"Whatever..."

Craig knows Tweek will use that against him but… It does work, unfortunately. Soon after, his attention is diverted from seeing Red Racer trying to escape this dastardly trap set by the evil Mystery Pilot to the corner of his living room. Especially to the wall beside his front door where he usually puts his coat. There on the wall lay two pairs of shoes: Craig's and Tweek's. The difference between the two (Tweek's are straight out, laces inside the shoe, and dwarfed by Craig's, which were just thrown [not placed] there) reminds Craig of Tweek's condition.

"Don't drink all my coffee."

"But… -"

"Tweek! Don't drink the fucking coffee!"

Craig's voice hurts Tweek's ears. It was louder than usual. Tweek bites his lip and drops the spoon into the container and sheepishly looks around the corner of the partition between the kitchen and Craig. He can see that Craig is deep in thought. He wants to hug Craig and hold him and maybe give him a kiss or- 'WAH WHAT WAS THAT WHY DID I THINK THAT?' Tweek stumbles backwards and hits the table, falling over and crying out curse words as he falls.

"You ok Tweek?"

Tweek thinks of that phrase. Am I okay? Why not? What did I just think? Did I think what I think I thought?

"Tweek?"

Tweek bites his lips and tastes a little blood. Must've bitten his lip or something.

"I'm fine Craig." Liar…

"Really? Cause you have serious nose flood going on."

Tweek stiffens and stares out blankly. Craig walks towards him and sighs annoyed.

"Come on Tweek I'll fix you up… It's not that bad. Really it's not."

Tweek relaxes as Craig cleans up his face. Then he gets to thinking about the day he told Craig about his condition.

Craig had been fishing alone. Tweek was at the park testing out his newfound condition, checking for every twitch or ritual. He still drank coffee back then, without hesitation. He still remembers what he wore that day as well as what Craig's expression was. He remembers Craig walking up to him.

'Hey Tweek How's it going?' 'Fine just… I don't know re-really…' 'Wanna help me fish?' Tweek remembers tugging on his red and white sailor shirt. His mom took him shopping after the appointment with a psychologist. He got cargo shorts and a red and white sailor shirt. He wore felt boots that day. It was hot but it seemed right. Craig was the one who drew it out of him.

'Tweek? What's up man?' Tweek realizes now though when he thinks about it, Craig didn't sound worried, but anxious. Maybe he's known all along.

"Tweek?" Craig sounded anxious.


End file.
